One of the biggest defeats of Tigers - Defence Secretary

COLOMBO: The Security Forces will save the Motherland from the terrorists and there is no doubt about it, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said yesterday.

In an interview with the Dinamina, our sister newspaper, he said the Tigers wanted to hold onto Pooneryn due to its strategic importance as a logistics point.

"Their Tigers have lost the entire North Western seaboard. Now they cannot transport or smuggle war items using that coast. Pooneryn was even more important to the

Tigers than Kilinochchi. This is one of the biggest defeats suffered by the Tigers," he added.

Commenting on reports that the LTTE leader has described it as a 'tactical withdrawal', he said the LTTE has issued such statements after every major defeat to cover up their inability to hold the territory.

He noted that the Tigers will no longer be able to use Pooneryn to launch artillery attacks on the Forces in Jaffna. "Another major advantage is that we will be able to use the A32 to transport goods and personnel, thus linking the North and the South by road. There will be no need to use the far more expensive and risky sea and air routes. This is after 20 years that we could open the A32 completely."

The Defence Secretary said the LTTE's ability to attack the Security Forces had greatly diminished as the Western seaboard was now entirely under Forces' control.

He complimented the Forces on their heroic victory, saying they were making immense sacrifices on behalf of the Nation. Their courage and morale were at very high levels.

The LTTE would never be able to discourage them.

"We will win the battle against terrorism. We will liberate the Northern masses from the Tigers and create a peaceful atmosphere for all community to live together," he asserted.